


Misunderstandings

by thisislegit



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort/Angst, M/M, bilbo has low self esteem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 10:17:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1262581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisislegit/pseuds/thisislegit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bilbo defended Thorin against Azog he had no idea it was considered a proposal in dwarven culture.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Misunderstandings

**Author's Note:**

> I read this story with the same theme, and apparently it's a prompt on The Hobbit Kink Meme on live journal, but I don't have a live journal to keep up with that kind of thing and I still very much liked the idea, so here ya go.

Bilbo very much enjoyed their embrace on the carrock. However, to his displeasure, and due to Thorin’s injuries it did not last long. They still had to make it down to the bottom so they could stop to rest at the home of Gandalf’s friend. The adrenaline in the hobbit’s system finally dwindled down as they walked down the craggy path, and he could feel every ache and creak in his bones. If he felt this bad how bad could the others in the company be doing?

Staying behind Balin and in front of the Ri brothers Bilbo did a quick look over his companions. Thorin was leading, as usual, but with a limp in his gait and Dwalin by his side to keep him upright. Gandalf walked several feet in front of them. Behind the warriors were Oin and Gloin, then Balin, himself, Ori being fretted over by Dori as Nori chatted with Fili and Kili. Bofur made sure to keep them moving at a quick pace, and Bifur and Bombur were talking about something in Khudzul. From the flurried hand movements Bifur was making Bilbo could only assume it was something important.

Somehow Ori had managed to convince his eldest brother of his healthy state and moved to walk next to Bilbo. The hobbit very much liked the companionship of the youngest in their company. Ori would talk to him of knitting, and gardening, showing Bilbo his sketches, and even at times speaking to him in Elvish in private. Both Bilbo and Ori were novices, but it was nice to find someone willing to practice with. Everyone seemed to think the young scribe weak in a sense, but Bilbo found that Ori had such a temper on him when provoked.

Fili and Kili having gone too far with one of the pranks accidentally put the young scribe in the middle of the crossfire. The brothers apologized profusely for the next several days after the incident before going back to their, slightly safer, raucous behavior.

Bilbo did not notice some of the looks tossed towards him as they made it to the fields below. He also failed to notice some of the looks others from the company gave him when he would approach Thorin giving him food or offering to help as they got closer and closer to shelter.

In fact, by the time they reached Beorn’s home, Bilbo’s fate had been sealed in a sense that the hobbit didn’t know what to expect when approached on the topic.

“Ah, um, what is this for?” Bilbo asked rolling the object in his palm.

“For a braid in your hair Master Baggins,” Thorin said.

“Oh! Well, yes, I suppose it is getting a bit long isn’t it,” he said running a hand through the curls.

One of the few things he forgot to bring were scissors. He didn’t think he’d need them for his hair grew slowly, but the journey was taking much longer than he expected. The soft curls of his hair had grown into waves that stopped at the middle of his neck.

“Would you allow me to braid it?”

Bilbo was a little taken back at the offer. Why in the world would the dwarf king want to braid the hair of a lowly hobbit? Maybe it was a part of their culture when accepting new friends. It was the only explanation Bilbo could think of that made sense.

“Sure. Honestly I’ve never been very good at plaits, and you dwarves know much more about hair than I do.”

Thorin grunted and they sat in one of the patches of flowers in Beorn’s fields not too far from the porch. Bilbo sat close enough to Thorin where their knees almost touched as the dwarf plaited thick portions of his hair. He asked Bilbo to hold the end of the braid as he did the same to the other side. Bilbo thought it felt nice. He didn’t think dwarves could have such a gentle touch, but to work with the earth as often as they did it made sense. Soon Bilbo found the dwarf king behind him braiding the two braids to lay at the back of his hair and he heard the soft clip of the bead being closed.

“It is done,” Thorin said his tone gruff.

Bilbo lifted his hands just above his ears where the braids started and followed them til they met at the back. He then felt the indentations of the bead and turned to face the dwarf. Smiling he thanked him. The braids made it so his bangs were no longer in the way, and he preferred not having to push the strands out of his face every few minutes.

“Thank y-mmf!”

Bilbo’s eyes grew wide as he processed what was going on. By the time he realized Thorin was kissing him said dwarf pulled away just so their foreheads were touching. The hobbit’s cheeks were a dark red and his mouth opened and closed as he tried to fumble for what to say.

“I shall see you at dinner then?” Thorin asked removing his hand from the back of Bilbo’s neck.

Bilbo’s mouth snapped shut, and he didn’t look up as he heard Thorin walk back into the shape shifter’s home. Actually Bilbo didn’t move from that spot for several hours. He was still staring at the ground sometimes watching a bug dig itself free from the earth only to disappear again.

What happened?

**_What happened?_ **

Why did Thorin kiss him?

Why would Thorin _kiss him_?

Some of the dwarves became concerned with the hobbit’s blank stare over the afternoon. None were sure if they should approach him, but luckily for him two meddling brothers were not turned away by such strange behavior.

Fili and Kili went over to Bilbo all smiles and hello’s. Bilbo snapped out of his reverie for a while to talk to them.

“So I guess we should be calling you Uncle Bilbo now,” Kili said from where he laid on the grass.

“What?!”

“You’d prefer Auntie Bilbo then?” Fili said his eyebrows furrowing.

“Why, why would you even call me by any of those titles?”

“Well, you and Thorin seem pretty serious about your courting and-“ Kili started.

“I didn’t even know we were courting!” he yelled.

“What do you mean? You saved his life on the Carrock I would’ve thought…” Kili stopped as he sat up looking to Fili.

Bilbo wasn’t a dwarf.

Bilbo didn’t know.

“Uh oh,” Fili said.

“Uh oh what?” Bilbo asked now irritated and confused.

“I guess we forgot you weren’t a dwarf. You don’t know about our customs very much to know that-“Kili started.

“-by saving Uncle Thorin’s life you proposed to him. When you defended him against Azog you basically were saying-“ Fili continued.

“-that if you were both to survive-“

“You’d be married,” they finished together.

Bilbo had his head in his hands now. Kili and Fili were giving each other concerned looks. This wasn’t good. If the courtship was cut short after the bead and braid was given it was considered a high insult. Not only that, but their uncle Thorin seemed almost happy with the turn of events. Then again they also couldn’t force their burglar into that kind of position. Especially when he hadn’t even known what he was doing.

“Bilbo,” Fili said placing a hand onto his shoulder.

“We’ll tell Uncle Thorin,” Kili said.

“I mean he’ll be kind of hurt, but we should all know by now that you don’t know about our traditions,” Fili tried sounding diplomatic about it.

“No one’s fault but our own,” Kili supplied.

Bilbo didn’t budge from his spot and the brother’s gave him his space. When he was alone again he felt the braids that were set just above his ears. He’d been a bachelor for so long he didn’t think he’d get the opportunity to settle down. Marriage was a big step, and apparently he tripped over that step head first without knowing it.

Thorin would probably scowl at him for the rest of the journey as he had been doing at the start of it. Something in Bilbo’s chest twisted at the thought. He wasn’t sure if he could handle that frown and those cold eyes directed towards him again. He also wasn’t sure if he wanted to get married either. Could he imagine it? Waking up to gentle caresses along his torso as he looked into eyes like sapphires that crinkled just at the edges.

He didn’t realize how much time had passed. It was almost like he blinked and it was night time. His stomach growled at him forcing him up and back into Beorn’s home. The incessant chatter that flooded the dining room grew quiet when he stepped in. Feeling their stares he quickly lost his appetite and headed towards his bed in the other room. His stomach continued to growl and rumble as he laid under the sheets, but he ignored it in favor of going to sleep. He just couldn’t deal with the confoundedness of dwarves right now.

He wasn’t sure how long he laid their dozing off until he felt a weight sit on the edge of the bed.

“I thought hobbits ate 9 meals a day yet you haven’t showed up at any of the meals we had,” came Thorin’s gruff voice.

“It’s 6 or 7 and we do. I just haven’t felt hungry today,” Bilbo mumbled.

“Bilbo. I am sorry for assuming your intentions when you defended me against Azog,” he sighed.

The hobbit said nothing as he continued, “Fili and Kili have reminded me that you do not know of our customs, and as such your actions were done in the kindness of friendship and not of showing romantic interest. Seeing as how the courtship was unknown to the other party it functions as a loophole per say. All you must do is return the bead, undo the plaits I have given you, and tell of your ignorance to the actions to a witness. No offense will be taken.”

The air grew stale with their silence until Thorin couldn’t take it.

“Bilbo please. You have been silent with me since this afternoon. Please say something,” his voice was shaky.

He hated how weak he sounded.

Bilbo sat up in bed so he could look at the exiled king. When Thorin saw the halfling reach behind him to grab the bead he felt daggers pierce into his heart. Of course Bilbo would remove the bead. This is what he came to collect. Thorin could not force him into a relationship unknowingly.

“The idea of getting married terrifies me,” Bilbo said rubbing the bead between his fingers feeling the runes etched into the wood.

“Giving yourself wholly to another person to do with each other as you will. Loving the other without shame or shyness. I never really thought I had much to give anyone, so I avoided it like the plague. Easier done than said with my Tookish nature. Thorin, I am just a hobbit of the shire. Exiled or not I have nothing to offer a king.”

For the second time that day Bilbo found himself being kissed by Thorin. The dwarf pulled away to lay a kiss upon each of his cheeks, his nose and his forehead before pressing their foreheads together and just breathing. Bilbo wasn’t sure how long he could stare into those bright eyes.

“Bilbo Baggins, you give yourself too little credit. Your worth is more than double all the gold that Smaug sleeps under. If you cannot believe that, then I will do my best to help you see the truth in it.”

They stayed like that just breathing softly their noses barely touching.

“Thorin.”

“Hm?”

“If we are to continue this courtship, I hope you do not mind me incorporating some Hobbit traditions. We still barely know each other, and I would feel more comfortable knowing the person I may call husband.”

Bilbo could see the small glint of hope in Thorin’s eyes as he said, “I will gladly go through every Hobbit tradition of courting for you my Halfling.”

Bilbo smiled as he leaned in pressing their lips together once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Un-beta'd
> 
> Comments welcome and appreciated.


End file.
